I just read another one of those book reviews that makes me want to say, “Um, thank you?”
But then, compliments of the left-handed variety are in a way my favorite kind. When they come with this much sting, it’s hard to doubt their sincerity.
This one hails from the keyboard of Bob Corrigan on the ack/nak blog.
This slim little book is chock full of hackneyed dialog, stock characters straight out of central casting, and features an ending that will remind you of a Disney movie. But I loved it for the simplicity of its message—the key to success (sorry, “stratospheric” success) is … I won’t spoil it for you, but you can probably already figure it out from the title. I carry this book around with me and dip into it on a frequent basis. No kidding. It’s 144 pages of goodness.
Hackneyed dialog; stock characters, Disney ending. Okay, that’s not what we were going for. But 144 pages of goodness? Hmph. He makes it hard to be offended.
Left-handed compliment? I am a huge fan of hackneyed dialog, stock characters and Disney endings! These are good things, and essential if you’re telling a fable in 144 pages. It’s part of the charm of the Go-Giver that makes it effective – and I appreciate the author being considerate of my time and limited attention span by using literary tropes that get the job done. You could have tried to imitate Rimbaud or Kerouac, but you didn’t. I call that “putting my interests first”!
(PS – Thanks for being a good sport 🙂 )
Thanks for stopping in, Bob! I want you to know, you’re part of an honored tradition, starting back in January with Justin Henry, who pointed out in a review on the blog “Zen Personal Finances” that my prose is “not exactly Tolstoy.” His and yours are two of my favorite reviews!